Clearer



' Witness March 30, 1937.. H. B. WHITING 2,075,595,

CLEARER Filed July 9, 1954 Patented Mar. 30, 1937 UNITED STATES 2,075,595 5 CLEARER Harold Burton Whiting, Peabody, Mass., assignor to A. 0. Lawrence Leather Company, Peabody, Mass, a corporation of Maine Application July 9, 1934,Seri al No.734,264

6 Claims.

5 such clearers and rolls in the drawing and spinning of thread.

In drawing and spinning frames the rolls tend to pick up and collect loose, individual fibres from the thread, and. if these fibres are permitted to 10 accumulate, poor spinning will result. According-.

1y, it has been the practice to remove such fibres from the drawing and spinning rolls by means of a clearer, usually of wool flannel, the fibres of which contact with the surface of the ,15 roll and pick off the loose fibres adhering thereto. These clearers may be in the form of strips or bands of. wool flannel, or rolls with a wool flannel face, which are held in contact with the spinning or drawing roll.

In the accompanying drawing is shown in Fig. l, in transverse vertical section, a well-known type of drawing system, and in Fig. '2, in enlarged perspective, a clearer or clearer cot, as it is commonly called.

In the construction shown in Fig. 1, the three fluted drawing rolls 5 co-operate with the upper leather covered rolls 'l to draw the roving from the eye or guide 9 through and between the rolls. Above the upper rolls is positioned the fiat clearer consisting of the Wooden clearer bar l3 and carrying a number of loops or bands l5, or clearer cots of fibrous material. Commonly these are made of wool flannel, but I prefer to use a piece of what is known as woolskin or shearling, which is the tanned pelt of sheep with the wool fibres still attached to the skin. Such a clearer made from shearling is not only more efficient and has longer life than one composed of textile material, because it has a greater number of fibres per unit area which are most firmly anchored in the leather back, and which tend to stand out at right angles therefrom, but such shearling material is better adapted for carrying out the present invention than is a textile material, such as wool flannel.

Such a clearer cot of woolskin or shearling as shown in Fig. 2 is formed of a strip of woolskin with its ends secured together as by sewing, at IT, to form a continuous band or loop, with the fibres I9 on the outer surface and the tanned skin 2| on the inner surface.

The clearer is secured at each end upon the wire or staple 23 driven into the under face of the clearer board, and spaced to hold the loop or band of clearer material comparatively taut on the supports.

7 The fibrous face of the clearer is pressed against the revolving faces of the upper rolls to remove therefrom any fly or lint which may catch or be picked up from the roving passing beneath. Periodically the operator will raise the clearer boards to pick off the accumulation of lint, and by pulling the loop slightly around its support, present a new working face to the upper rolls, if this seems advisable, and then lower the boards into operative position.

The rubbing or frictional contact of the fibres of the clearer with the roll generates static electricity which causes the roll to attract fibres from the threads, not only the loose ones, but even to pull the fibres from the thread itself, which, but for the electrical condition, would not become loose. Poorer drawing and spinning results, waste is increased, and more frequent cleaning of the clearers is required.

While it is the practice to maintain a relatively high humidity in the room where the drawing and spinning operations are performed, in order to avoid the generation of static electricity by or on the cotton thread, such humidity ordinarily is not sufficiently high to prevent the generation of static of the wool fibres of the clearer, and to maintain an atmosphere of the entire room at the very high degree of humidity necessary to avoid or prevent the generation of static by or on the clearers would involve a substantial expense, not only for equipment, but for its operation. I have found that by treating the material of the clearer with a material which tends to withdraw and collect moisture from the air, and which renders the clearer more conductive of electricity, this objectionable electrification of the clearer and rolls will be prevented even at relatively low humidities, and not only better spinning secured, but longer life and less attention to the clearers themselves.

While many different substances can be used for such treatment of the clearer, I have found a satisfactory composition to consist of a solution containing by weight 5% of magnesium chloride, 1% of diethylene glycol, and of Gardinol, which is believed to be a sodium salt of a sulphonic acid of a hydrogenated higher alcohol. This solution may be applied to the clearer in any convenient manner, as by spraying, swabbing, or dipping the clearer material, after which it is dried to remove excessive moisture and then made into clearer cots, so-called, of the desired size.

Instead of magnesium chloride I may use any substance conductive of. electricity, or which will cause the fibres of the clearer to take up and retain moisture from the air thereby rendering 5 them electrically conductive.

The diethylene glycol is used as a softener and hygroscopic material to take up moisture from the air. The Gardinol is to act as a wetting agent which causes the magnesium chloride and the diethylene glycol to spread over the fibres of the clearer.

A clearer treated with the above material will operate with complete success even in a relatively dry atmosphere, preventing or removing the static from the clearer and the spinning or drawing roll, as the case may be, so that there will be no special attraction for the fibres of the thread. Such a treated clearer in no Way interferes with its proper action to remove from the surface of the roll such loose and free fibres as may collect thereon from the passage of the thread in the Spinning or drawing operation.

The above treatment of the clearer does not alter its appearance or condition so far as this is apparent to the eye or to the sense of touch, to

all intents and purposes being as dry as if it had not been treated.

While it is believed that the difficulties hitherto experienced from static electricity are the result of the electrification of the roll only, nevertheless it may be that the clearer itself is electrified and contributes, at least in part, to the difficulties hitherto experienced. Where, therefore, reference is made to the elimination or prevention of electrification, this is to be understood as referring to the electrification of 7 either the roll or clearer, or both.

Nor is the invention limited nor the claims restricted to a complete and entire elimination or prevention of all static, as these are to be understood as including a partial elimination or prevention which shall, however, be sufficient to secure material advantages.

While in the foregoing specification I hav set forth a combination of substances which have been found entirely successful in eliminating static, it is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to these particular ingredients, but will include other substances and combinations within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described the present invention, what is claimed is:

1. A clearer for roll of spinning and drawing frames and the like, having a roll-engaging surface of fibrous material treated directly with a solution containing electrically conductive hygroscopic materials, together with a wetting agent, to prevent electrification of the roll.

2. A clearer for roll of spinning and drawing frames and the like, having a roll-engaging surface of fibrous material treated with magnesium chloride, diethylene glycol and Gardinol.

3. A clearer for roll of spinning and drawing frames and the like, having a roll-engaging surface of fibrous material treated with a solution containing by Weight 5% magnesium chloride, 1% of diethylene glycol and of Gardinol.

4. A clearer for roll of spinning and drawing frames and the like, having a roll-engaging surface of fibrous material treated directly with magnesium chloride and diethylene glycol.

5. A clearer for roll of spinning and drawing frames and the like, having a roll-engaging surface of fibrous material treated directly with magnesium chloride, diethylene glycol and a Wetting agent.

6. A clearer for roll of spinning and drawing frames and the like, having a roll-engaging surface of fibrous material treated directly with an electrically conductive material and a hygroscopic material to prevent electrification of the roll.

HAROLD BURTON WHITING. 

